Hey BrianI have literally just walked in the door after nearly a month on the road - the last 10/12 days as a photawg guest to the Rock & Road. As such I had the privilage of spending some time with Adam, and en route to CT I got to shoot him on Mazawati. Here is a link to 4 images - I am, as we speak, sifting through the trash I shot and trying to get a few decent images to Neil and Kath for the RnR website from ther last few days of the comp. So for more images of Mazawati and the final weekend of Rock and Road shots, hop online again tonight and check out the Rock n Road website...there'll be more on my page tomorrow...CheersT

That's amazing! It took us months to suss that line and I think its great that it is opened. Here is a route of another level in South Africa since Two to Win. Three Cheers to Adam.

It feels like this is how its meant to be for the evolution of Sport Climbing in SA. Niel phoned Arjan and I and asked whether the route was open for Adam. We chatted and agreed that of course it is. Its about progression and moving on and evolving, being open to skills and knowledge from those who truly know. The potential is within everyone to do incredible feats, its just about finding the key to unlocking the vast potential energy within.

Sharing in successess of others adds to the positive vibration of energy. Success breeds more success. I feel this is the start of great routes to come.

Hey MattYes I share your sentiments entirely! In fact I have a story/article lurking in the back of my head (it's empty so there's lank space...in fact I tend to lose my thoughts more often than not) and was in fact the underlying theme in my comment about a rather ordinary pic I took in the kitchen at Falcon Rock: while competition certainly is good, and has it's place, what stood out for me on this years Rock & Road was the camaraderie between competitors. While they were, effectively, competing against one another, EVERY one wanted the other to do better...to push harder. "Winning" was merely an indication that the event had reached it's conclusion - everyone 'won' and ergo, (sport) climbing won.It would be great to see this 'ethic' carried through ALL facets of Climbing in SA.

It was amazing to watch Adam do this route!He started up, checking out most of the moves and pulling on draws when necessary, after getting to the top he inspected the route again while be lowered down. After a good rest, he sent it on his first redpoint attempt - we hope to post a video of the ascent soon.

He did grunt a bit going through the cruxy top section (apparently this is only the 2nd time he has really grunted on his trip here His opinion on the grade was that the route is 35/8c+

Thanks for the spelling Micky

Adam was keen to keep the name the same - Mazawattee is open and SA has a new hardest route!(Adam also sent Two To Win (aka Streetfight) at Oudtshoorn on his 2nd attempt confirming that it is grade 34/8c)

Sean Maasch (person who originally bolted & worked the line) was apparently 'quite revved' to hear that Adam sent the route

Adam Ondra visited Montagu on Monday the 27th of July 2009. Adam sent the route on his first redpoint attempt (he'd been on once to place draws & check out the route). Video by Justin Lawson of ClimbZA. http://www.climb.co.za

I was one of a few people who had the honour of travelling with Adam and his dad Miroslav. Watching Adam open Mazawattee is easily the highlight of my climbing life!

Adam is the complete climber - he has the physical, mental and motivational attributes and also upholds incredibly high ethical standards in his climbing. He is once in a generation and still has a few years left as a teenager! Besides all this, he is incredibly humble. The mind boggles to try and predict where his limit might be...

Adam is now in Rocklands and after 1 session already ticked pretty much every hard problem at The Sassies.

Once again, what an honour for SA that he has come and lifted SA climbing to a new level. Big ups must also go to Sean Maasch for bolting such a visionary line and to Neil Margetts and Derek Marshall for getting Adam and his dad down here.

Must have been epic to watch Adam climb Mazawattee Flex, I'm well envious, but also stoked I got to see the send fest at Oudtshoorn. Has kind of put climbing in a whole new light for me, I suppose it's hard not to! But that said, watching the climbers on the PETZL Rock & Road was exceptionally cool too...in fact I haven't stopped thinking about it!

It was so amazing to spend some time with Adam, he IS a machine without any weakness, physical or mental. The trail of new routes he has left and his quick send of Streetfighter is inspirational - expect repeats of these routes and an increased standard of sending in coming months due to increased psyche. Thanks Neil and Derek for making it all possible. Finally, anyone keen to spend a few weeks between Oudtshoorn and Waterkloof sometime in October-November..give me a shout. Andrew

"I think it would be kinda cool to get Adam down again ... I feel kinda bad that he missed out on checking out spots like Boven and spending more time in Rocklands ..."

Too give you an idea of the type of spots that Adam would like to check-out; Frankendura...because they have 280 routes 8b or harder. Gawp! Do we have 280 8a-&-harder scattered over the whole continent?

let me rephrase what Derek said. Boven isn't hardcore enough for this guy. He'll do all the hard routes in a weekend. Don't think to highly of your crags. They may feel like a after dinner mint to Ondra and his kind.garvin

Garvin is correct, Boven would be a warm-up. There is no point in inviting him there, or any other crag we have in SA at the moment. To answer Mokganjetsi's question.. Outdshoorn - not enough rock. Boven - way too slabby. Magailes - unlikely. Steep blankish walls are required and unlike limestone, quartzite rarely forms outcrops of that nature, unless its heavily folded..i.e Momtagu. Maybe if we can find several pipelines or Masawati style walls. Adam confirmed that Masawati is world class - head and shoulders the best route he climbed while here. If I were in the Cape I would head out to Montagu and start getting out of the well trodden kloofs and into the hills and unexplored vallies; there's got to be loads of mega walls lurking. I kthink a couple of guys have started looking and developing, good luck to them. In the meantime, get strong and psyched ang go repeat our existing 8c's and 8c+ which we now know for sure are benchmark - brill.

How many 8c's do we have now, since Ondra's visit? one at the Hole, one at Oudtshoorn, an 8b+/8c in Fort Fordyce (i think?), and another of that grade in PE. This is good! Also a few 33's there, as well as at the the cauldron in Montagu. Yes we don't have as many hard routes, but yes we do have a few. Pedley's right, Montagu seems to be the future: those developed crags and explored valleys aren't even the tip of what Montagu really has to offer. Every time i drive through it i'm astounded by the immense amount of rock. Go out and explore!

Adam in action is crazy...hectic...30, 31, 32 all onsite, same day, no fuss, no sweat...just does it. There were a few projects he did not get....but I'm sure he was not all that intrested in them or they are mega hard 9b+++>imposible in the few days he had.

There are a few more walls at Outshoorn that have mega potential, but acsess issues. Baviaans may have the stuff, but its in the middle of nowhere.

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